1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to a host apparatus connected to an image forming apparatus and a power save mode control method thereof, and more particularly, to a host apparatus which indicates a power mode of an image forming apparatus, and a power save mode control method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an image forming apparatus, such as a printer, a multi function device, a copier, etc., has a power save mode in which power to be supplied to some components thereof, for example, a fusing unit, is cut off to reduce power consumption while the image forming apparatus does not perform a printing operation for a predetermined time. To perform the printing operation after entering the power save mode, a temperature of the fusing unit and conditions of other components of the image forming apparatus should return to a normal state. To this end, warm-up of the image forming apparatus is necessary.
Specifically, the image forming apparatus performs a warm-up operation when it receives printing data from a host apparatus, and then, once warmed-up, performs the printing operation. Due to the warm-up, time elapses before performing the printing operation after entering the power save mode compared with the normal mode. Thus, an urgent printing operation can not be performed quickly after entering the power save mode.
Particularly, if the host apparatus, giving a printing command, and the image forming apparatus, performing the printing operation, are distantly spaced from each other, it is inconvenient for a user to recognize or confirm a current power mode of the image forming apparatus.
For example, assuming that a user wants to send a printing command for a printing operation to a distant image forming apparatus which is to enter a power save mode in 1 minute, by the time an actual printing command is received, the image forming apparatus might already have entered the power save mode and may need to perform the warm-up in order to perform the printing operation. In this case, it is impossible to recognize and change an entering time when the image forming apparatus enters the power save mode according to a user's demand.